Can Dallas actually make code enforcement work? Proposal could build trust and improve neighborhoods. File photo Even in the best of times, code enforcement in Dallas had the impact of pouring water into a bucket with hole in the bottom. Then last year, COVID-19 hit and code compliance officers stopped canvassing neighborhoods for months. Instead, their duties shifted to pandemic-related safety tasks such as discouraging large gatherings. But as the city begins to return to more normal activities, code compliance officials are formulating a new community-focused strategy that we think holds great promise to make neighborhoods more livable and safer.